Trains

(editor's note: For more of a blow-by-blow from today's meeting visit the twitter feeds for LA Streetsblog, Soap Box and I Will Ride)

The Obama administration has brought both good news and bad news to transit riders. But here’s a positive sign you haven’t heard before, straight from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) chief Peter Rogoff: In the nine months of the new presidency, the FTA has fielded more requests for information “directly from the White House” than in … Continued

When it comes to the carbon consumption of cars, trains, and buses, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) Transportation Energy Data Book [PDF] is an indispensable resource. But this year's Data Book contains an eyebrow-raising error in its analysis of rail's energy use.

Three potential Metro rail projects have been in the news recently, and two of them are being dogged by controversy as another continues to cruise during its early phases.

While Streetsblog has been one of the leading news sources for information concerning the installation of fare gates at a handful of Metro rail and light rail stations, it's been one issue that we haven't taken an editorial position on.  In truth, since most of the funds for the project come from the Federal Department of Homeland Security, thus won't be coming from a more deserving transit project, it hasn't seemed like more than a curiosity of a story.

Over the weekend regular commenter Spokker posted some pictures from his Flickr feed of the fare gate installation at Union Station and Wilshire/Normandie. Spokker also shot a surprise picture for us. Apparently Metro is also experimenting with screens that update bus arrival times at some stations.

The Internet is abuzz with the news that Mayor Villaraigosa and his allies on the Metro Board are pushing for the acceleration of three transit projects that are partially funded with the now incoming Measure R funds.  LAist breaks down the new plans, outlined in a power point presentation for this Thursday's Measure R Committee Meeting at Metro Headquarters.

This Thursday, Metro will take the first public steps to remove its rush hour bans against bikes on certain trains. In just the year and a half since LA Streetsblog began publishing, Metro has threatened to vigorously enforce this ban, backed off strict enforcement, piloted a program of taking out seats to make more space for bikes on trains, expanded that pilot to more trains and now is publicly talking about ending all "bike bans" in favor of signage directing cyclists to the best places to rest bikes while riding the trains.

I just returned from a trip to Moscow and noticed an interesting trend. Despite the economic slowdown, which Russia is also certainly experiencing, their public transportation is not only as efficient as it's always been, but - it keeps getting better and better.  Unlike in the United States, nobody is discussing service cuts!